Massac County High School Patriot head football coach John Warren resigned his position recently and accepted the head coaching job at Bradenton, Fla.’s Southeast High School.

For Warren the move back south was a natural. He was an assistant baseball coach and coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers at Southeast under retiring head coach Paul Maechtle in 2012 before moving north to Metropolis.

Maechtle leaves an impressive legacy with 281 career wins, five trips to the state finals and two state championships.

Warren issued this statement last week concerning his time here: “I wish to thank the MCHS community and everyone who had a hand in our past football season. We met a lot of good people this last year and made a lifetime of friendships. Massac County is a great place to live and work. My family felt at home here from day one as several people went out of their way to help us out during our transition. We are leaving Massac County, but will always be thankful for the opportunity we had here and the memories we made. With the leadership at the school and the remaining coaching staff, I truly believe the Patriots’ football program is in good hands. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us and we wish all of you the very best in the future.”